Game ball



Jan. 29 1924. 1,482,232

R. H. HAZELTINE GAME BALL Filed Feb. 6, 1920 G "Mum: S

Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

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ROBERT E. HAZELTINE, 0]? NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME BALL.

Application filed February 6, 1920. Serial No. 356,582.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. HAZEL- TINE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Game Balls, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement in game balls and more particuarly to golf balls, one object being to provide a golf ball in the construction of which the weight of the ball may be minimized and the exterior surface simplified with a resulting increase in accuracy and extent of flight under ordinary conditions.

A common form of golf ball construction includes a rough exterior surface either dimpled or having a number of knobs or proections provided to prevent slippage-between the ball and the players club upon impact of the club against the ball. It'is believed that the accuracy of flight and the reach of a golf ball will be greater as the surface more nearly approaches that of a smooth sphere without, however, interfering with effective driving or non-slipping contact between the players club and the ball. In this connection, it is believed that the relatively complicated'or rough surface of a dimpled or knobbed ball presents greater air resisting surface in flight than would be the case if the ball had a smooth surface.

In order to obtain greater distance balls are given greater density of cross section but this requires the player to swing harder in order to attain a given initial velocity. With many players, the necessity of putting extra exertion into the swing interferes with accuracy of driving and it is thought that a smooth surfaced ball may therefore be made substantially lighter in weight than a rough surfaced ball of similar spherical di mensions. Thus, using a smooth ball a player may drive a given distance with less exertion on the swing, and therefore with more accuracy. If the smooth ball is also lighter in weight than the corresponding rough ball, a player may attain equal or greater initial velocit of the ball with a lighter swing, thus giving him at least as great range as he could obtain with the rough ball under the same condltlons.

An embodiment of'my invention is illus-.

trated in the drawings accompanying the present specification in which Figure 1 is a central section,

tions by means of which plurality of inserted members or plugs 3 ma extend through said shell, said plugs being made preferably of a material relatively harderv than the material of the shell 2, such as metalor a suitable composition and being of any desired shape. Or, the shell ma be relatively hard and the plugs be ma e of relatively soft or more elastic material. If desired, the plugs will include some abrasive material, either incorporated in the plug or appearing on its outer surface as a coating 5. For this purpose, carborundum, sand, metal chips or the like may be used. \Vhatever the character of the plug, it is contemplated that the exterior surface of the shell will be a substantially continuous spherical surface.

One theory upon which the effectiveness of the construction hereinabove described may be explained is that the absence of projections or depressions on the surface eliminates a substantial amount of air resistance during flight, and the tendency of the ball to follow an exaggerated curved lateral trajectory due in part to air resistance is reduced in a corresponding degree. Although the outer surface of a ball constructed as described is approximately spherical, it is contemplated that there will be no slippage upon impact ofthe club with the ball, this result following by reason of the juxtaposition of relatively rigid and relatively, resilient portions. The tendency toward slippage is further diminished where the plug contains or carries an abrasive or non-slip.- ping material. v Thus, it is believed that in a golf ball an exterior surface which presents materials of different hardness, density or elasticity may perform substantially the essential or non-slipping function of the protruding knobs or. dimples of the roughened ball without interfering with accuracy and length of flight.

A modified form of my invention, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 discloses a resilient core 11 and a conventional golf ball shell 12. The core 11 may be provided with a plurality of spaced recesses 14 which, when the shell 12 is set in place, form anumber of small hollow chambers between the shell and the core 11 and plugs or inserted members 13 may also be incorporated in the ball, either projecting through and forming a part of the surface or underlyin portions of the surface as shown. The p ugs projecting through may be provided With abrasive exposed surfaces as described in connec tion with the plugs 3 of Figures 1 and 2. It is contemplated that those portions of the shell which overlie the chambers 14 will be relatively more yielding upon impact of a club than the adjacent portions which overlie the inserts 13. Accordingly, when a stroke is made, the club will cause a relatively greater depression of the material of the shell toward the chambers 14, thus temporarily deforming the outer surface of the ball and preventing the same from slipping up, at the same time causing the ball to roll up the face of the club.

While I have illustrated only two forms of embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that the underlying principle of my invention may be applied in a variety of ways. show the invention applied to a composite golf ball, it is equally applicable to the form of ball heretofore made from a relatively homogeneous mass of suitable elastic material, it being contemplated that the lugs or inserted members may be moulde in or otherwise arranged to perform substantially the same functions as when assembled in the composite ball. Accordingly, accuracy and range in playing a golf ball ma be secured where the enveloping shell 0 the ball presents portions of varying elasticity so For example, while the drawingsthat upon impact of the club, a temporary deformation of less rigid portions of the surface takes place and prevents slippage between the ball and the face of the club.

I claim as my invention:

1. A golf ball comprising a resilient core, an outer shell, and a plurality of independent spaced members differing in resiliency from the material of the shell and penetrating said shell.

2. A golf ball comprisin a resilient core, an outer, shell, and a plura ity of independent spaced members less resilient than the shell, bearing on said core, and penetrating the shell.

3. A golf ball comprising a resilient core, an outer shell, and a plurality of independent spaced members differing in resiliency from the material of the shell and embedded therein, whereby an outer surface of varying resiliency is formed.

4. A golf ball comprising a resilient core, a smooth surfaced shell, and a plurality of independent spaced members embedded in said shell and having their exposed surfaces cplntinuous with the smooth surface of the s ell.

5. A golf ball comprising a resilient core, a shell, and a plurality of independent spaced members embedded in said shell and presenting exposed surfaces substantially continuous with the surface of the shell and of different abrasive character from the material thereof.

=- 6. A golf ball comprising a resilient core,

an outer shell, and a plurality of s aced members independent of said core an differing in resiliency from the material of the shell, said members'extending through said shell the entire thickness thereof whereby an outer surface of varying elasticity is provided. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 2nd day of February, 1920.

ROBERT H, HAZELTINE. 

